A bit of background on our project, code named LeadCrystal, that will hopefully provide a summary of where we're going. We're a semi-official indie "company" called Silver Goblet Games, comprised at the moment of two experienced Java programmers and a designer. We've spent the better part of the past year developing a 2D action RPG engine for the purpose of unleashing our creative needs in the form of a game that will mesh several well-liked genres. As this thread evolves with our project, you'll see the typical RPG character biographies and menu screenshots, but since this forum caters to the overall project, we'll also use the thread to preview our engine features and game design concepts.

The following are our newest demo video, along with brief descriptions of the major paradigms that we are working towards with this project, as well as its current status. Please try to appreciate the satire

Welcome to World of Metroidvaniablocraft (name tentative). We’re working to combine elements from games like Super Metroid, Diablo II, and Borderlands to create a unique blend of 2D side scrollin’, loot whorin’, character buildin’ action. Combat will have a heavy emphasis (since you’ll be doing a lot of it); we’re working towards engaging, satisfying combat that rewards skill and ingenuity. Enemies are being built to be challenging, employing situational tactics and fighting together to bring you down. By introducing artificial intelligence typically not seen in Platformer enemies, you'll have fighters shouting for a heal, enemies radioing one another for backup, and mob mentality. Exploration will also play an important role, as trailblazing is rewarded with items and upgrades that you won’t find routing through the carcasses of your enemies. There will be areas that can’t be accessed until you find the right skill or item, so you’ll want to make a mental note of suspicious-looking places. And don’t forget about the loot. Naturally, loot is randomly generated, and we’re working to include enough random properties to encourage interesting choices.

[size=12pt]Engine Progress![/size]

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Due to a lot of the systems requiring deep customizability and our desire to learn, we're writing what amounts to our own "engine" in Java, with the JOGL OpenGL bindings, and the phys2D engine for collision and physics. We're also developing the level editor and script interpreter that we will use to govern game events. Currently, the engine is more or less complete, sans some important game systems that we have recently decided to implement. "Completed" aspects of the engine to date (Some more than others):

- Scenes, entity management- Netcode, joining and leaving with a character on your local machine, uses UDP (Kryonet), includes client side prediction, UDP reliability/packet loss handling- Map Editor- Scripting system for "coding" entity behavior at run time- API for images and graphical effects on images over time- AI Finite State Machine framework for enemies- Skills, inventory, and drop system- Quests and story progression- Combat effects on mobs and players over time

[size=12pt]Four Diverse Classes![/size]

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We’ve not trying to reinvent the wheel, so we’ve gone ahead and covered all the bases - melee, ranged, caster, and lazy.

Justicar - The only people in the galaxy crazy enough to use swords, the Justicar thrive in melee combat where they can chain together combo attacks to unleash devastatingly powerful finishers.

Bounty Hunter - Badass cowboy-meets-Boba Fett gunslinger who also uses plenty of explosives and crazy gadgets. And yes: he has a jetpack.

Psion - Built for those who prefer mass destruction, psions possess the means of controlling and obliterating many opponents at once. Even better: the more frequently they unleash their psionic abilities, the more powerful, albeit more vulnerable, they become.

Engineer - Specifically designed for lazy people who don’t feel like fighting (not really), the Engineer instead molds the battlefield as he sees fit; building and commanding robots, constructing turrets and sentries, and deploying other fantastically wacky devices.

[size=12pt]Actual Resource Systems![/size]

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Our game will feature a never-before-conceived method of resource management. Each copy will ship with a USB foot pedal wired directly to your mana potion button for maximum mindless spamming and enhanced pointlessness. This system wil- what? Oh, sorry, I’ve just been informed that we cannot ship foot pedals to everyone who buys our game. Instead, we’ll give each class a unique, compelling resource system that encourages experimenting with different playstyles and rewards smart play. Sorry to disappoint.

Speaking of potion spamming, sloshing down gallons of the red stuff isn’t going to bring you back from being impaled in the chest, either. Health will be difficult to recover and recovery items are designed to be used sparingly. However, we don’t want getting hit to feel so punishing that it creates a frustrating experience, so there will be a shield mechanic that recovers when you aren’t taking damage.

Bounty Hunter - Heat. Defensive abilities cool down the Omnicore, while offensive abilities heat it up. Pushing the gauge too far to either side will have some negative (but some beneficial!) consequences.

Psion - Focus. Rather than mindlessly spamming fireball and depleting mana, a focus bar will fill slowly as you use abilities. Get your focus up to high levels and experience boosts to your power as well as some detrimental effects. Reach the sweet spot between 90 and 100% focus to add devastation to your next cast, but be careful not to reach 100!

Engineer - Battery power. Creating turrets and robots costs battery power, as does maintaining them and using abilities to augment them. Gives the player a choice between amassing a small army, or using most of his power to beef up a particularly tough minion.

[size=12pt]Meaningful Customization![/size]

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Triumphantly you deliver the final deathblow and emerge victorious after a grueling marathon with a boss. Suddenly, golden rays of light errupt from your body and you fist pump in almighty ecstasy as you realize the power of leveling up. You drop another skill point into Spambolt and increase its damage by 1.6%. Worth it.

Then you wake up in a cold sweat and realized you were having a horrible nightmare about games with customization options so pitiful that they make leveling up feel like finding an old pair of socks you could probably get away with wearing another day.

We think leveling up should be a big deal and we want investing those hard-earned talent points to feel meaningful. Additionally, skill upgrades will be found through exploration and will change how the skill works in noticeable ways, providing new gameplay opportunities and opening up tremendous options for customization.

[size=12pt]Endgame Options![/size]

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Once you’ve tricked out your character just the way you want, the game ends. Tireless hours of loot-whoring and build-planning and you only get to be a badass on the final boss. Nay, says I, for we are planning on having a number of options for continuing your adventure once your character is nice and beefy. New Game Plus, where the enemies actually have new abilities and tactics instead of an enhanced spreadsheet, side quests in randomly generated areas make grinding for loot a little less monotonous, and the Arena, where you are tasked with holding off waves and waves of enemies - these endgame options all provide ways to keep playing.

[size=12pt]Engine Screenshots (Warning: possibly severely outdated, read the captions!)[/size]Disclaimer: We claim NO ownership rights to the images from Metal Slug, FFIII, etc. that we are using to test our engine.

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Early version of the map editor.

Current version of the bloom effect (on the enemy under the light)

Trying out different forms of tone mapping.

A particle emitter. This one does smoke!

First test of dynamic shadows (before we fixed penumbra shading)

Smoother edges on light cones and shadows.

[size=12pt]The Future...[/size]

While this isn't a typical progression thread for a project, I hope you'll find the contents of the blog and youtube channel interesting and ripe for criticism. We're developing this engine and game for a community of gamers like ourselves, and hopefully a lack of a convenient webstart demo doesn't dissuade you from posting or asking questions. Sharing is caring.

As progress continues, we'll have updates available via our blog at http://silvergoblet.tumblr.com, which contains a link to our youtube channel, where I discuss our latest programming challenges and feebly attempt to guide our viewership away from some of the same troubles we found.

Looks good! I like the shadow and lighting effect. I think in a metroid like indoor environment it would make it really atmospheric. An idea would be to make the demo video in that kind of style, using the lighting effect for lamps and flashlights etc. Hope to see more soon!

Dang. If I had known my help with the lighting would be used in an RPG game, I would've stayed up 24/7 refreshing JGO. 2D side scrolling RPG games with dynamic HDR lighting and shadows has to be the best thing that has happened to this world in a long time. I will follow this closely, and if you ever need any help I'll be here (not claiming to be an expert or guru, I'll just do what I can xD). Because this is awesome. Just beware that you've created some expectations now! xD Hahaha...

Looks good! I like the shadow and lighting effect. I think in a metroid like indoor environment it would make it really atmospheric. An idea would be to make the demo video in that kind of style, using the lighting effect for lamps and flashlights etc. Hope to see more soon!

When we can find some better artwork for terrain and get the level editor a bit more polished, this is definitely on the to-do list ^^ keep an eye on the blog for updates.

Dang. If I had known my help with the lighting would be used in an RPG game, I would've stayed up 24/7 refreshing JGO. 2D side scrolling RPG games with dynamic HDR lighting and shadows has to be the best thing that has happened to this world in a long time. I will follow this closely, and if you ever need any help I'll be here (not claiming to be an expert or guru, I'll just do what I can xD). Because this is awesome. Just beware that you've created some expectations now! xD Hahaha...

Hence my thread regarding concern for non-HDR GPUs. Which is why we're hoping that whenever this comes out, the "dated" technologies we are using in OpenGL (FBOs, HDR textures) have become more standard. Or we can just turn it off for them and the game will look sad. Our top priority is game play, but if we can make it look awesome in the mean time, sign me up.

Dang. If I had known my help with the lighting would be used in an RPG game, I would've stayed up 24/7 refreshing JGO. 2D side scrolling RPG games with dynamic HDR lighting and shadows has to be the best thing that has happened to this world in a long time. I will follow this closely, and if you ever need any help I'll be here (not claiming to be an expert or guru, I'll just do what I can xD). Because this is awesome. Just beware that you've created some expectations now! xD Hahaha...

Hence my thread regarding concern for non-HDR GPUs. Which is why we're hoping that whenever this comes out, the "dated" technologies we are using in OpenGL (FBOs, HDR textures) have become more standard. Or we can just turn it off for them and the game will look sad. Our top priority is game play, but if we can make it look awesome in the mean time, sign me up.

Finally! Saying "It's game play that matters, so I don't care about graphics!" is the most stupid phrase ever (for gamers, I mean). It's so f*cking annoying when console fanboys start humping their thumb sized pixels on their huge TVs when you can get the exact same game play on PC but with 10x better graphics cheaper (at least in Sweden). There is nothing hindering a game from having both good game play AND good graphics except for (console) hardware.Concerning hardware: You're limited to DX9/OGL2+extensions. Anyone without such a graphics card won't be able to run World of Warcraft properly. Just ignore them.

Agreed, for the most part; I'm in the school of thought that form follows function, and that there's only so much form you can apply to certain ideas.

If someone told me they were re-releasing pac-man with HDR lighting and fruit shaders and ghosts that had cloth physics when they moved, that's a case of crazy. It's a pretty ridiculous example, but you get the idea.

I guess I'm not really for "form follows function". I think that form CAN and SHOULD augment function. If we can use our lighting to establish a mood and tell a story, or create interesting gameplay scenarios, while still looking great, that's something I want to get behind. Not enough games do this; they either dump all their resources into graphics and release shitty but pretty games, or spend forever making a really innovative game and then realize that another studio had the same idea but hired an artist with more polish.

Finding the happy medium is what's so fun and challenging, and I'm hoping that our eventual style ends up striking a chord with someone.

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There is nothing hindering a game from having both good game play AND good graphics except for (console) hardware.

Companies that dump their resources into 3D modelers and texture artists and rush out as many high quality models as possible before the release date, that don't give half as much attention to design and gameplay. That's the only scenario I can think of.

If someone told me they were re-releasing pac-man with HDR lighting and fruit shaders and ghosts that had cloth physics when they moved, that's a case of crazy. It's a pretty ridiculous example, but you get the idea.

But if you're gonna play Pacman and have the original Pac-man in your left hand and Uber HDR Physics Pacman 3000 in your right hand, I'd pick the good looking one any day, assuming the game play is identical. Well, good-looking is quite subjective for a game like Pacman, but you get the idea.

I guess I'm not really for "form follows function". I think that form CAN and SHOULD augment function. If we can use our lighting to establish a mood and tell a story, or create interesting gameplay scenarios, while still looking great, that's something I want to get behind. Not enough games do this; they either dump all their resources into graphics and release shitty but pretty games, or spend forever making a really innovative game and then realize that another studio had the same idea but hired an artist with more polish.

Finding the happy medium is what's so fun and challenging, and I'm hoping that our eventual style ends up striking a chord with someone.

100% agree. I think one of the big problems is the huge wall between game play and graphics. Why are they treated as so distinct and unrelated? Like you said, graphics can be used to affect game play a lot. Not enough games use this to their advantage IMO.

There is nothing hindering a game from having both good game play AND good graphics except for (console) hardware.

Companies that dump their resources into 3D modelers and texture artists and rush out as many high quality models as possible before the release date, that don't give half as much attention to design and gameplay. That's the only scenario I can think of.

Isn't that basically a caused by limited hardware itself? As it's so hard for console games to have good lighting, AA, shaders, e.t.c they blow their money on stuff that actually can be implemented, like good looking models and animations. I'm gonna point a finger at the latest 4 CoD games, as I think they have extremely dull lighting and shaders, but really nice models and animations (and textures on PC).

I would probably pick the oldskool pac-man, but mostly because it's freakin PAC-MAN. The old 8bit games had a rather different form of gameplay that doesn't really translate well to the photorealistic treatment (what's a photorealistic pacman look like anyway?)

Anyone who tells you one of the legs of a three-legged stool doesn't matter is a very poor carpenter.

A good counter example to this would be the new super mario brothers games for Wii, which are rendered in 3D but only permit 2D movement. This could be attributed to generations of us getting used to seeing the red plumber in 3D, though.

I agree with you though. The level of graphics should be high enough for the game to exploit in gameplay and in user experience, but not so high that the genre drags it down by not inherently lending itself to those improved graphics. Pacman is probably the best example, but at the same time the worst example because it's the franchise I grew up with. I could make a super photorealistic pacman with a spherical character and spheres instead of circles and a psuedo-top down level where I could actually see depth, and ghosts that looked really cool, with the exact same gameplay. But is it REALLY Pacman at that point?

We could discuss this for hours but I don't want that to be the focus of this thread ^^

I have modified the original post to include a link to our newest video. It showcases our progress over the last four months, including multiplayer (online co-op support). A lot of the screenshots are OLD! We will be updating these soon.

I've been wanting to make dynamic shadows when I make a new lighting system.Did you say you've been working on this 4 month?

Not exactly... I think I say that since our last tech video, it's been 4 months, and we've progressed a lot since then. The project itself is much older than that, roughly a year and four months. Although we took a 4 month hiatus at one point, and we didn't have openGL until last august, which blew open tons of doors in terms of what we could do. When we started out we knew basically nothing so we used Java2D, which hindered our capabilities a lot.

I've been wanting to make dynamic shadows when I make a new lighting system.Did you say you've been working on this 4 month?

Not exactly... I think I say that since our last tech video, it's been 4 months, and we've progressed a lot since then. The project itself is much older than that, roughly a year and four months. Although we took a 4 month hiatus at one point, and we didn't have openGL until last august, which blew open tons of doors in terms of what we could do. When we started out we knew basically nothing so we used Java2D, which hindered our capabilities a lot.

Cool mate must have been a lot of effort i started using java2d nowadays I use slick and opengl, just finished my hill physics.I fancy doing dynamic lighting but it'll be a right effort.